2024 Olympics USA’s Largest Stars
From legendary athletes to rising stars, Crew USA is able to shine on the 2024 Summer time Olympics in Paris. With a historical past of dominating the medal rely, the U.S. has persistently been a powerhouse within the Video games. Because the world gathers as soon as once more for this grand sporting occasion, all eyes might be on Crew USA to see if they’ll proceed their golden streak.
After the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the 2020 Tokyo Video games by a yr, the Olympics are again on schedule, and the anticipation is larger than ever. This yr, from July 26 to August 11, the town of Paris will host athletes from around the globe, and amongst them, Crew USA is predicted to be a number one contender throughout varied disciplines. From seasoned veterans like Katie Ledecky to contemporary abilities like Sha’Carri Richardson, listed below are 13 athletes you gained’t need to miss in the course of the thirty third Summer time Olympiad.
1. Katie Ledecky (Swimming)
Katie Ledecky isn’t any stranger to Olympic glory. Already one of the crucial adorned swimmers in Olympic historical past, Ledecky has amassed seven gold medals and ten complete medals. This locations her simply two medals shy of the report held by former American swimming legends Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson.
At 27, Ledecky continues to interrupt information. She lately turned the primary U.S. girl to win an Olympic qualifying occasion, the 800-meter freestyle, 4 occasions. Ledecky is ready to compete within the 400-meter, 1,500-meter freestyles, and the 4×200 relay, with a powerful probability to additional cement her legacy as the best swimmer of all time.
2. Katie Grimes (Swimming)
Whereas Ledecky guidelines the pool, 18-year-old Katie Grimes is making waves in open water, or marathon swimming. Grimes was the primary U.S. athlete to safe a spot on the Paris Video games, due to her bronze medal efficiency on the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Grimes isn’t any stranger to Olympic competitors, having been the youngest member of Crew USA in Tokyo at simply 15 years previous. Competing within the 800-meter freestyle, she shortly caught the eye of Ledecky, who as soon as dubbed her “the long run” of the game. With such excessive reward, all eyes might be on Grimes as she competes in Paris.
3. Sha’Carri Richardson (Observe & Subject)
Sha’Carri Richardson’s victory within the 100-meter dash on the 2023 World Athletics Championships solidified her standing because the quickest girl on the planet. Now, she’s able to show it on the Olympic stage.
Richardson’s journey to Paris has been one in every of redemption. After a failed drug check disqualified her from the Tokyo Video games, Richardson took accountability and targeted on a comeback. Her victory on the U.S. Olympic Crew Trials, the place she clocked the quickest time of the yr, 10.71 seconds, has set the stage for her Olympic debut.
4. Noah Lyles (Observe & Subject)
Noah Lyles is on a mission to dominate the observe in Paris, and he’s obtained the credentials to again it up. On the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Lyles accomplished a exceptional treble, successful gold within the 100-meter, 200-meter sprints, and the 4×100 relay.
Lyles, born in Florida, is aiming for gold in each the 100-meter and 200-meter occasions on the Olympics, and he’s additionally set his sights on the 4×400 relay. Along with his unbelievable pace and willpower, Lyles is without doubt one of the most fun athletes to look at in Paris.
5. Kevin Durant (Males’s Basketball)
Kevin Durant is seeking to make historical past on the 2024 Olympics. After an early exit from the NBA playoffs with the Phoenix Suns, Durant has turned his focus to the nationwide workforce, which incorporates different NBA superstars like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid.
Durant is simply 54 factors away from changing into the all-time main scorer in U.S. Olympic basketball historical past, surpassing Lisa Leslie. He’s additionally vying to turn into the primary U.S. males’s participant to win 4 Olympic gold medals, a feat that may solidify his legacy as one of many biggest basketball gamers of all time.
6. Kelsey Plum (Girls’s Basketball)
Kelsey Plum is ready to take her abilities to the full-court sport after successful gold in 3×3 basketball on the final Summer time Video games. The 29-year-old WNBA star from the Las Vegas Aces will compete alongside different stars like Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart.
Plum’s collegiate profession at Washington was nothing wanting exceptional. She is the second-highest scorer in Division I ladies’s basketball historical past, with 3,527 factors. As she continues to guide the Aces to success, Plum is set so as to add an Olympic gold medal in conventional basketball to her already spectacular resume.
7. Scottie Scheffler (Males’s Golf)
Scottie Scheffler is the top-ranked golfer on the planet and the present chief in Olympic qualifying standings. The 28-year-old formally earned his spot for Paris together with teammates Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Wyndham Clark.
Scheffler’s yr has been eventful, with highs and lows that embrace being arrested on the PGA Championship and subsequently successful The Memorial Event simply weeks later. His willpower and talent on the course make him a powerful contender for a medal in Paris, and he’s wanting to show that golfers are certainly athletes on the Olympic stage.
8. Coco Gauff (Girls’s Tennis)
Coco Gauff is the top-ranked American tennis participant and at the moment holds the No. 2 spot on the planet rankings. Though her Olympic debut was delayed by COVID-19, Gauff is greater than able to make her mark in Paris.
Now a serious champion after her 2023 U.S. Open victory, Gauff is the headline American participant on the Summer time Video games. She’s additionally anticipated to compete in doubles with accomplice Jessica Pegula. Gauff is set to convey dwelling a medal, ideally gold, and she or he’s approaching the Video games with a renewed sense of function and pleasure.
9. Victor Montalvo (Breaking)
The 2024 Olympics will characteristic breaking (breakdancing) as one in every of its new occasions, and Victor Montalvo is the person to look at. Generally known as “B-Boy Victor,” the 30-year-old has been training the artwork of breaking for the reason that age of 6, with steering from his father and uncle.
Montalvo is thought for his signature transfer, the “Supa Montalvo,” a 360-degree spin carried out whereas crouched on one hand. At 30, Montalvo acknowledges that this is perhaps his solely shot at Olympic gold, given the extraordinary competitors from youthful, extra agile breakers. Nonetheless, he’s prepared to go away all of it on the dance flooring in Paris.
10. Maggie Steffens (Girls’s Water Polo)
Maggie Steffens is the captain of the U.S. ladies’s water polo workforce, which has gained three consecutive Olympic gold medals. Steffens, 31, is a record-breaking star, having scored 18 objectives throughout Crew USA’s gold medal run in Tokyo, making her the all-time main scorer in Olympic water polo historical past.
Steffens’ management and scoring potential have the U.S. ladies’s water polo workforce poised for one more deep run in Paris. Together with her deal with each successful and rising public curiosity within the sport, Steffens is a key determine within the workforce’s pursuit of a fourth straight gold medal.
11. Chase Budinger (Males’s Seashore Volleyball)
Chase Budinger isn’t any stranger to the highlight, having spent seven seasons within the NBA earlier than transitioning to skilled seaside volleyball. At 36, Budinger is the spiker to look at as he competes in Paris alongside accomplice Miles Evans.
Budinger’s athleticism and aggressive spirit have made him a power on the sand, and the duo’s rating as No. 13 on the planet units the stage for a possible underdog story on the Olympics. Budinger’s journey from basketball to seaside volleyball is a testomony to his versatility and willpower.
12. Trinity Rodman (Girls’s Soccer)
Trinity Rodman is following in her father’s footsteps by making a reputation for herself in skilled sports activities. The 22-year-old ahead has shortly turn into one of many brightest stars in U.S. ladies’s soccer.
Rodman started enjoying soccer at age 4 and has already gained a number of youth nationwide championships. She turned the youngest draft choose in NWSL historical past at age 18 and helped the Washington Spirit win the league championship as a rookie. Together with her sights set on Olympic gold, Rodman is poised to guide the U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Crew to success in Paris.
13. Simone Biles (Creative Gymnastics)
Simone Biles is a reputation that wants no introduction. After a stunning withdrawal from most occasions on the Tokyo Video games resulting from psychological well being struggles, Biles has made a triumphant return to the game.
Now 27, Biles lately turned the oldest U.S. all-around champion in historical past and clinched her third Olympic berth with an all-around title on the U.S. Olympic Crew Trials. With seven Olympic medals to her title, Biles is wanting so as to add extra {hardware} to her assortment in Paris. Her participation in particular person occasions and the workforce competitors makes her a must-watch on the 2024 Olympics.
Conclusion
Because the 2024 Summer time Olympics method, these 13 athletes are set to captivate the world with their extraordinary abilities and willpower. From the swimming pool to the observe, and the dance flooring to the basketball court docket, Crew USA is poised to shine on the worldwide stage as soon as once more. With a mixture of seasoned veterans and rising stars, the U.S. is able to make historical past in Paris. Don’t miss the chance to witness these athletes in motion as they compete for Olympic glory.